BAD AXE — It's no secret the Bad Axe football program has struggled, recently.

The Hatchets are 6-21 during the past three years, including 2-7 in 2017.

Despite that, the spirits of third-year head coach Kelly Durr, his staff and players are high.

"This is was probably the best participations that we've had during the summer in the last five years," said Durr. "Last year was kind of the feeling that we were treading water and trying to get through week-by-week."

NUMBERS GAME

Last season, Bad Axe had to forfeit a non-league contest to Saginaw Nouvel.

Durr hopes to avoid that this season.

The varsity should feature about 18 players, but the junior varsity participation remains a concern.

"The domino effect of having low numbers is just worrying about getting through games, but you have to minimize what you're doing on both sides of the ball," he said. "If a guy gets injured, you have to shuffle him around.

Added Durr: "We're hoping to have more depth this year and do some more things."Currently, the JV is sitting at 10 players, but Durr hopes to do some "mass recruiting" to get that number up.

TOUGH START

Bad Axe will be tested right out of the gate, with it's traditional Greater Thumb Conference crossover game on Aug. 24 at Harbor Beach.

The Hatchets return home to host Vassar, before traveling to rival Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port.

The Lakers and Pirates won their respective sides of the GTC in 2017.

"It's not an easy first third of the season," Durr said.

OFFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT

In 2017, the Hatchets had success moving the ball, but they were unable to finish drives.

Bad Axe was shutout twice and held to single digits three other times, on its way to averaging 12.1 points per game.

Durr welcomes back the explosive Ryan Wehner and looks forward to the contributions of Jack Clancy and Vince Blackstock.

"We have got to finish drives," he said. "We actually moved the ball pretty well and pretty consistently between the 20s. We just did not seem to finish drives.

Added Durr: "We did not have the passing attack to spread people out last year. I think we have the ability to throw the ball, which will help."

Durr ran a version of the single wing last season and expects to do the same this season.

"We might mold with some different formations because of our personnel, but expect much of the same," he said.

ON THE DEFENSIVE

On the surface, a 33.1 points per game average doesn't look good.

However, Durr says there was more to the story.

Many times last year, the Hatchet defense was able to hold its own, but eventually wore down with the inability to put points on the board.

"It goes hand-in-hand with the offense," he said. "You go on a good drive and stall out on the 15.

You do that a couple of times in a game, that gets disheartening. To ask the defense to continually go out there and do their job when we don't score, those things need to be cohesive."

Added Durr: "I think if the offense starts to click a little, you will see the defense follow suit."

DAILY DOUBLE

In Durr's first season, the team won one game, followed by two last year.He's hoping that trend continues.

"We talked as a staff that we would like to keep doubling our wins,"he said. "I would like to get at least four or maybe more."I think we can surprise some people, I really do."

Added Durr: "The biggest hurdle we have to get over is that belief issue. They have the skills there to do it. If we can get these guys to believe in themselves, we will be OK."

LEAGUE NEWCOMER

The Greater Thumb West grew by one team, as Caro will become a full member for the 2018-19 campaign.

The Hatchets are set to visit the Tigers on Oct. 12.

That meeting will renew a long-standing rivalry between two county seats.

Caro holds a 24-16-1 record over Bad Axe, with the last meeting coming in 1990, when the teams were members of the Thumb B.